How to Shoot a Good Vine Selfie

Vine updated its app today with the ability to capture video using the front facing camera. You know what that means: Selfie time. And you know what else that means? There’s going to be a lot of terrible selfies.

Just because you’re using the front facing camera doesn’t mean you have to sit there and duck face for six seconds. The addition of the front lens means you have entirely new avenues of Vine creativity. The selfies you were able to record before are going to pale in comparison — especially if you keep the following five guidelines in mind. Time to Vine!

1. Mix it up
You can swap whether you’re recording with the front or rear-facing camera with the tap of a button. Use that ability to get creative, juxtaposing shots of your face with your friends and surroundings.

2. Use it for decision making
Just get an order of Warby Parker glasses in, and you’re not sure which to choose? Bored on a Saturday night in and trying out some new makeup looks for the next time you’re out on the town? Take to Vine to see how you look from different angles, and get input from friends and followers in the process.

3. Get silly
More so than other social network platforms like Twitter or Instagram, Vine is the perfect place to show off your silly side. Embrace it. With your face. Making funny faces.

4. Share your surroundings
If you travel solo a lot, like I did in October, you want to take a lot of pictures and videos–but your friends and family would also like to see you in some of those shots, too. Take a lead from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and use Vine’s front camera abilities to show what’s going on behind, beside, above, or below you.

5. Consider your lighting
One simple way to up the quality of your #selfie is to optimize your position in your environment. A step to the left, and the lighting could be far more flattering on your features. Take a moment to assess your lighting situation before tapping the screen to record.

And remember: The Internet is forever
Those three rum and cokes may be telling you that Vining a sexy selfie dance may be a good idea, but when your would-be future boss uncovers it six months from now — not so much. Vine lies on the interwebs somewhere between YouTube and Twitter. Sure, it seems ephemeral, but your moments can live on forever. Use discretion with your Vine self.